Ladder



LADDER, APPLICATION FILE ID. FEB. 20' 919.

Patented Mar. 2,1920.

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CHARLES W. KRATHWOHL AND JOHN F. COVENY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINGIS.

LADDER.

Application filed February 20, 1919.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, CHARLES /V. Kearn- WOHL and JOHN F. COVENY, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to step ladders which are foldable, and its object is to provide a novel and improved ladder structure of this kind having pivotally connected steps and side bars, together with a connection between the same and the props or supporting legs of the ladder, whereby the ladder is unfolded and made ready for use when said props are placed in supporting position, and folded when the props are folded.

The object stated is attained by means of a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ladder set up;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, with the ladder folded.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes the steps or rungs of the ladder which are pivotally connected to parallel and spaced, front and rear side bars 6 and 7, respectively, there being a pair of side bars at each end of the steps. The pivotal connection between the steps and the side bars is made by bracket irons 8 secured to the ends of the steps and having outstanding ears 9 and 10, respectively, which seat against the inner faces of the side bars, with pivot pins 11 passing through said parts. The ears 9 project downwardly and are connected to the front side bars, and the ears 10 project upwardly and are connected to the rear side bars.

The pivotal connection between the steps Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 278,143.

The folding and unfolding of the steps 5 and side bars 6 and 7 is accomplished by the props or supporting legs of the ladder, the ladder being unfolded when the legs are placed in supporting position, and folded when the legs are folded. Two supporting legs 12 and 13, respectively, are provided for each side of the ladder. The legs 12 are pivotally connected, as shown at 14; to the upper ends of the rear side bars 7, said ends projecting a short distance above the top step 5. The legs 13 are pivotally connected to the front side bars 6, intermediate the ends thereof, the pivotal connection being made by a pair of alined ones of the pivot pins 11 which connect one of the steps to said side bars.

The legs 12 and 13 converge toward their lower ends and they are here connected by brace straps 15 straddling the same. These straps are fastened to the legs 13 and they are pivotally connected, as shown at 16 to the legs 12. It will be noted in Fig. 1, that the legs 12 and 13 come together, or abut, below their pivotal connection 16 when the ladder is set up ready for use, whereby the spread of said legs is limited, and the ladger is prevented from being opened out too The legs are braced by transverse and diagonal brace bars 17 and 18, respectively.

Near the top of the ladder is the usual pivoted shelf 19, the same being supported by arms 20 which are pivoted to the rear side bars 7 by a pair of the pivot pins 11 connecting one of the steps 5 to said side bars. Links 21 connect the arms 20 to the front side bars 6, so that when the ladder is folded, the shelf is folded upwardly. The shelf is positioned to swing between the legs 12.

As the ladder can be folded into a narrow compact form, the steps 5 can be made quite wide to provide a good foot-hold. The ac tion of unfolding the legs also unfolds the steps and side bars, and hence the ladder cannot be used until it is fully unfolded.

We claim:

1. A ladder comprising side bars composed of front and rear members, steps be tween the side bars, said steps being pivotally connected to the front and rear members to fold into vertical position when the front and rear members are folded toward each other, and supporting legs for the ladder connected at their upper ends to the front and rear members, respectively, the connection between one of the legs and the rear member being at the upper end of the latter, I

and the connection between the other leg and the front member being intermediate the ends of the latter, and said legs converging towardand being pivotally connected adjacent to their lower ends, and abutting below the pivotal connection to limit their spread.

2. A ladder comprising side bars composed of front and rear members, steps between the side bars, said steps being pivot ally connected to the front and rear members to fold into vertical position when the front and rear members are folded toward each other, supporting legs for the ladder, a shelf at the top of the ladder pivoted to the rear side bar member, and a link connection betwen the shelf and the front side bar member.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

CHARLES W. KRATHWOHL. JOHN F. COVEN Y. 

